House of Commons Hansard #168 of the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was elections.

Topics

SeniorsOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

NDP

Sadia Groguhé NDP Saint-Lambert, QC

Mr. Speaker, by changing the retirement age from 65 to 67, the Conservatives will double the number of low-income individuals. A number of organizations, such as the Canadian Medical Association and the Canadian Nurses Association, have joined the NDP in calling for the creation of a Canadian strategy to improve the health and economic situation of our seniors.

Will the Conservatives support our seniors instead of making them even more vulnerable?

SeniorsOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Richmond B.C.

Conservative

Alice Wong ConservativeMinister of State (Seniors)

Mr. Speaker, Canada's low-income rate for seniors has fallen from 29% in 1976 to 5.2% in 2011, the most recent year for which data is available. This is one of the lowest rates in the industrialized world.

I just mentioned the list of things that we have done for seniors. We are proud of the contributions our government has made for seniors. We are going to continue to stand up for the priorities that matter to them.

InfrastructureOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

NDP

Hoang Mai NDP Brossard—La Prairie, QC

Mr. Speaker, apparently the Prime Minister was categorically against the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec being involved in the Champlain Bridge replacement. According to Le Devoir, the Prime Minister cited the Charbonneau commission and the Government of Quebec's allegiance when he refused to do business with the organization that manages Quebeckers' nest eggs, which, by the way, is involved in a number of similar projects around the world.

My question is simple: can the minister tell us whether there is any truth to what is being reported?

InfrastructureOral Questions

February 3rd, 2015 / 2:50 p.m.

Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean Québec

Conservative

Denis Lebel ConservativeMinister of Infrastructure

Mr. Speaker, the preamble to the question is entirely false.

I had the pleasure of being at that meeting. The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, like any other organization, could be part of a consortium that applied to build the bridge. That is what we hoped for.

We are currently reviewing the results of many months of tireless work. There were initially six consortia; three have been selected. Any organization or bank could be part of a consortium. That was the choice of these organizations.

InfrastructureOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

NDP

Hoang Mai NDP Brossard—La Prairie, QC

Mr. Speaker, the truth is that things are off to a bad start for the Champlain Bridge replacement.

In addition to wanting to change the name and impose a toll that everyone criticizes, the Conservatives are double-crossing Quebeckers by excluding the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec.

Do the Prime Minister's backroom manoeuvres against Quebeckers' interests not prove that the Conservatives' open and transparent bidding process is basically a sham?

InfrastructureOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean Québec

Conservative

Denis Lebel ConservativeMinister of Infrastructure

Mr. Speaker, what has been clear from the start is that this party and this member are misinformed.

I already said that what he just restated in a question was false. It did not happen like that.

We will deliver a bridge on schedule. On October 5, 2011, we announced that a toll bridge with public transit would be built through a public-private partnership. We are doing what we said we would do all along.

PovertyOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Liberal

Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON

Mr. Speaker, Canada continues to struggle with helping its most vulnerable citizens.

The Dignity for All campaign estimates that there are 4.8 million Canadians who cannot make ends meet and 250,000 homeless Canadians while shelters are bursting at the seams. Instead of tackling poverty, the government is spending $2 billion every year on income splitting so that the wealthiest can get thousands in tax breaks.

Will the Conservatives abandon their reckless income-splitting plan and instead invest in fighting poverty?

PovertyOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Portage—Lisgar Manitoba

Conservative

Candice Bergen ConservativeMinister of State (Social Development)

Mr. Speaker, our plan not only to decrease taxes but also to increase benefits for all Canadians will help, proportionately, middle to lower income Canadians the most.

What our plan will do is to put money directly into the pockets of the people who need it the most. We know that the Liberals would create a huge bureaucracy and increase taxes on Canadians, on 100% of all Canadian families.

We are not going to do that. We believe that families are best served when they have money in their pockets. In fact, the president of UNICEF said that it is our universal child care benefit that has directly helped reduce poverty for children in Canada.

We will keep doing that. We will not follow their plan.

PovertyOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Liberal

Carolyn Bennett Liberal St. Paul's, ON

Mr. Speaker, today, Dignity for All highlighted the shocking extent of hunger in Canada, especially amongst aboriginal peoples and northerners. Food bank usage is up 25% since 2008, and 70% of people in Nunavut are struggling to feed themselves. Canadians were horrified that the government's response to northerners scavenging for food at the dump was to deny the problem instead of fixing it.

Why is the government spending $2 billion a year on income splitting for our wealthiest families instead of dealing with urgent issues like hunger?

PovertyOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Madawaska—Restigouche New Brunswick

Conservative

Bernard Valcourt ConservativeMinister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development

Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times, since nutrition north was put in place we have seen the benefits. We have seen northerners benefit from the program. As a matter of fact, the transportation of nutritious perishable food has gone up by 25%. The cost to a family of four has gone down by $110 a month. That is significant.

In addition, we have already indicated to the House, to all members, and northerners that we have accepted the recommendations of the Auditor General. In the next few weeks and months, we are going to keep consulting with northerners to improve the program.

Rail TransportationOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

NDP

Ève Péclet NDP La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC

Mr. Speaker, all the reports and experts are saying the same thing: the Conservative government needs to do more to prevent another rail disaster.

La Pointe-de-l'Île is a hub for the transport of dangerous goods, and my constituents are not at all reassured, given how the government is dragging its feet.

Can the minister assure us that Transport Canada has enough inspectors to enforce compliance by the rail companies that go through La Pointe-de-l'Île?

Rail TransportationOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Halton Ontario

Conservative

Lisa Raitt ConservativeMinister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, the safety and security of Canadians is Transport Canada's top priority.

That is why it has been taking strong action with respect to these matters. In particular, it has hired more inspectors. If members take a look at websites in Canada, they will see that there are many positions out there that the department is seeking to fill right now. We encourage people who are interested in that line of work to indeed take it up.

That being said, our government has invested heavily as well, investing some $100 million in rail safety. We take this commitment very seriously and will continue to work on the matter.

National DefenceOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

NDP

Pierre-Luc Dusseault NDP Sherbrooke, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives have abandoned not only our veterans, but also our military heritage. Two armouries in Sherbrooke are in a very sorry state. The health and safety of the staff who work there are even at risk. The problem has been known for too long, while the Department of National Defence has been dragging its feet.

Is the government going to do something about this, or is it going to continue putting our soldiers and the staff at those two armouries at risk?

National DefenceOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Etobicoke—Lakeshore Ontario

Conservative

Bernard Trottier ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services

Mr. Speaker, the government is proud to contribute to the rehabilitation of armouries, including the armouries in Sherbrooke. We are conducting an assessment of the site and we will keep the House of Commons informed of the continuing progress.

National DefenceOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Conservative

Blake Richards Conservative Wild Rose, AB

Mr. Speaker, today the world is reacting with shock and outrage to a new video released by ISIL. This video is further proof that these jihadi terrorists have declared war on our values and our way of life. Can the Minister of National Defence please speak to this matter?

National DefenceOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Niagara Falls Ontario

Conservative

Rob Nicholson ConservativeMinister of National Defence

Mr. Speaker, the video released by ISIL is horrific and barbaric. The international jihadi movement has declared war on Canada and our allies. Left unchecked, these ISIL terrorists are a threat not just to the region but to Canadians as well. This is why Canada is joining our allies in the international campaign against ISIL terrorists. We will never back down or shirk our responsibilities when it comes to protecting Canada and Canadians.

International TradeOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Liberal

Mark Eyking Liberal Sydney—Victoria, NS

Mr. Speaker, dairy farmers produce some of the highest quality milk as the basis for many of the great products we enjoy. The supply management system has kept this industry stable for farmers and consumers. Is the Minister of International Trade planning on scrapping any part of the supply management system in the trans-Pacific partnership agreement?

International TradeOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Abbotsford B.C.

Conservative

Ed Fast ConservativeMinister of International Trade

Mr. Speaker, I can assure the member that we have made a very clear commitment to support Canada's supply management system. At the same time, consultations are ongoing about the compensation that will be paid under CETA. This is an agreement that will drive economic prosperity in Canada for many years to come. That is why we have had support all across the country, from every sector of our economy, for this agreement, which will drive economic growth and create jobs for many years to come.

Canada PostOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

NDP

Robert Chisholm NDP Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives gutted Canada Post, refused to consult Canadians about it, and are now hiding details about the bungled plan. With more than 300,000 new boxes being purchased in the U.S., and huge cuts being downloaded to municipalities, Canada Post is refusing to say how much this will cost.

With five million households losing service and 8,000 good jobs on the line, Canadians deserve to know: Will the minister hold Canada Post accountable and give Canadians the facts?

Canada PostOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Halton Ontario

Conservative

Lisa Raitt ConservativeMinister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, the following are the facts. There are fewer pieces of mail being delivered now than in 2013. Indeed, 1.2 billion fewer letters are being delivered. Canada Post has a responsibility to make sure that it is self-sustaining. As such, it developed a five-point plan. It is executing that five-point plan to ensure that it will continue to give good value for taxpayer dollars.

Sealing IndustryOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Conservative

Tilly O'Neill-Gordon Conservative Miramichi, NB

Mr. Speaker, today is Seal Day on the Hill, a day to recognize and help raise awareness of Canada's ethical and humane seal hunt.

Can the Minister of Environment update the House on what the government is doing to stand up for sealers and the traditional values of northerners?

Sealing IndustryOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Nunavut Nunavut

Conservative

Leona Aglukkaq ConservativeMinister of the Environment

Mr. Speaker, today is a day to celebrate the way of life of northerners. This includes defending the seal hunt, which is at the very heart of the economic well-being of our communities.

Our government has been working with the European Union to negotiate access for Canadian indigenous seal products to the EU markets since the WTO decision of last year.

The seal hunt not only provides a livelihood for our families but also enables Inuit to maintain their traditional way of life.

Our government will continue to stand up for northerners and all Canadians to support this important industry in Canada and abroad.

The EnvironmentOral Questions

3 p.m.

Green

Bruce Hyer Green Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON

Mr. Speaker, we know that we need to price carbon, but we have two parties with no plan to price carbon and one party with a flawed and ineffective plan. Citizens' Climate Lobby has an excellent plan to reduce both carbon and poverty. Will the government consider the carbon pricing system that is not a tax and will put money into pockets of Canadian families, the carbon fee and dividend?

The EnvironmentOral Questions

3 p.m.

Nunavut Nunavut

Conservative

Leona Aglukkaq ConservativeMinister of the Environment

Mr. Speaker, our government's record is clear. We have taken decisive action on the environment while protecting our economy. We will continue to implement a sector-by-sector regulatory approach to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We have already taken action on two of Canada's largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions, the transportation sector and the electricity sector.

Building on these actions, we recently announced that we will be taking action to limit the growth of HFCs, which are the most potent and fastest-growing greenhouse gases in the world.

We are reducing emissions without damaging the economy, which is what the Liberals and NDP would do with a carbon tax.

International TradeOral Questions

3 p.m.

Independent

André Bellavance Independent Richmond—Arthabaska, QC

Mr. Speaker, while dairy producers are on the Hill, there is growing international pressure on Canada to make concessions on the supply management system. The trans-Pacific partnership discussions are increasingly focusing on agriculture. The United States, New Zealand and other countries are becoming more and more demanding, as demonstrated by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, who says that Canada is not offering as much as it should.

In his speech to dairy producers this week, will the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food not only confirm his support for supply management, but also clearly state that his government cannot afford to do without it?